Circuit-interrupting device.



W. M. AUSTIN & I. N. MAHONEY.

CIRCUITV INTERRUPTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I4. 1913.*

atented Oct. 12, 1915.

| Il IRL- ...t

ATTORN EY UNITED STATES PATENTy oEEIoE.

WALTER M. AUSTIN, F SWISSVALE, AND OSEPH N. MAHONEY, 0F WILKINSBURG,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS T0 WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURINGCOMPANY, vA CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

CIRCUIT-INTERRUPTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. 12, 1915.

Application iled ctober 14, 1913. Serial No. 795,109.

Improvement in Circuit-interrupting De-l Vices, of which the followingis a speciication.

Our invention relates to circuit interrupting devices, and particularlyto three-pole circuit breakers of the carbon type.

vThe object of our invention is to rovide av multipolar circuitinterrupter of t e nonclosable on overloadtype having a single operatinghandle. I

In a polyphase circuit, the use of a plurality ofnon-closable-on-overload circuit interrupters -without auxiliary knifeblade switches has been found to be detrimental, in that any number ofinterrupters may be closed to cause such translatingdevices as may beconnectedto the circuit to be operated 0n an incorrect number of phases.We provide amultipolar circuit interrupter having a single handle forclosing all of the poles simultaneously and also having a simple andinexpensive non-closable-on-overload mechanism that prevents the closingof the same under predetermined conditions.

In 4the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a front view of a circuitbreaker embodying our invention, shown partially in elevation andpartially in section; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the operatingmechanism of a circuit interrupter embodying our invention, shownpartially in section and partially in elevation; Fig. 3 is a view of alink used inl our invention, and Fig. 4 is a view of another link and alatch used in our invention. I

vOur invention comprises a circuit breaker 1, having movable contactmembers 2, 3 and 4, stationary contact members (not shown),

tripping magnets 5 and 6, a cross bar 7 connecting the movable membersof the outer contact members 2 and 4, and an operating lever 8. Thecenter contact member 3 comprises a movable arm V9 similar to that ofthe contact arms of the contact members 2 and 4. rlihe arm 9 ispivotally mounted at a point 10 on stationary projections 11 and is alsoloosely attached to a shaft 12 carried by the operating lever 8. Lever 8is also pivotally connected to a link 13 lat a point 14. The link 13 ispivotally mounted on one of the projections -11 at a point 15, and has aprojection 16 to be engagedby a latch 17 that is integral with a lever18 which is mounted, as is lever 19, loosely upon the shaft 12. One endof a link 21 is pivotally attached to the lever 19 at a point 20, andits other end is attached to a bell crank latch 22 that is pivotallymounted on the leverl 8 to vengage a projection 23 on the cross bar 7.The latch 22 is normally held in engagement with the projection 23 by aspring 24 attached to the'operating lever 8'. Each of the trippingmagnets' and 6 comprises a trip coil 25, a core 26 and a movablearmature 27. T he armature 27 has 'a projection 28 on its lower end toengage a common tripping bar 29 which, in turn, has a projection 30 forengaging the levers 18 and 19. Since the structure of the actual contactmembers is not new in the art, it will not be described here, except inso far as to state the coperation between the sameand the operatingmechanism of our invention.

Assuming the circuit interrupter to be 1n its closed position, as shownin Fig. 2, if anV overload occurs, the armature 27 of one of thetripping magnets 5 and 6 will be attracted, thus causing the trippingbar 29 to engage the levers 18 and 19. Movement of the lever 19 willeect withdrawal of the latch 22 from the cross bar 7, thus releasing thecontact-arms of the outer contact members 2 and 4, and movement of thelever 18 will effect withdrawal of the catch 17 from the end 16 of thelink 13 and allow the center contact arm 9 to operate. All the contactarms are provided with springs (not shown) which tend to move them fromtheir closed whole mechanism in place when the projection 16 on the link13 is engaged by the latch 17 on the lever 18.

mental to maintain one line of a three-'phase circuit closed or harmfulto maintain the neutral of a three-wire system closed, our, inventionprovides an effective as well as an inexpensivecircuit-breaker with atrippingfree attachment. Changes in the shape or size of our inven-`tion may be made without departing from the scope of same as covered bythe appended claims. g

lVe claim as our invention:

1. A circuit interrupter comprising a pluralityof movable contactmembers operatively connected together, a movable contact memberindependent of said contact members, two levers pivotally mounted onsaid independent contact member, an operating lever, a latch pivotallymounted on said lever and operatively connected to one of said levers,said latch serving to restrain said op-, eratively connected movablecontact members, and the other of said levers having means forrestraining said independent movable`contact member in itsclosedposition, and means for operating said levers to trip said interrupter.i,

2. A circuit interrupter comprising a pluralityy of 'movable contact.members, a bar for connecting said pluraglity of movable contactmembers together, `a movable con,-

tact member independent ofJ said contactI members, two levers pivotally-mounted -on said independent contact member, an operatinglever, a latchoperatively connected to one of said levers, said latch serving toconnect said barand said operating lever together, and the other ofsaidlevers having means forrestraining said independent movf ablecontact member in its closed position, and means for operating saidlevers'to trip said interrupter. i

that isnot connected to the bar in its closed 3. A circuity interruptercomprising three. -movable contact members, a bar for operas 9. Acircuit intelrupter comprising three position, and means for operativelyconnecting the other lever to the lach that engages the said bar.

4. In a. circuit interrupting device, the combination with a pluralityof movable contact members, of a bar for connecting all but oneroisaidcontact members together, an

'operating mechanism comprising a trip coil,

two levers pivotally mounted on said contact member that is notconnected to the bar, an operating lever, a tripping bar actuated bysaid trip coil and adapted to engage said levers, one of said leversbeing adapted to restrain the contact member that is not connected tosaid bar, and a latch operatively connected to the other of said leversfor operatively connecting said connecting bar and the said operatinglever.

5. A circuit interrupter comprising a plurality of contact arms, a barfor`connecting Vsaid plurality of-\contact arms together, a

movable contact arm independent of. said plurality of contact arnis, atripping device,

two pivotally mounted levers, an `operating lever, one of said leversbeing 'adapted to restrain said independent arm in its closed position,and a latch operatively connected to the other of said levers forlatching said operating lever to said connecting bar.

6. A circuit interrupter comprising a plurality ofy contact arms, a barfor connecting said plurality of contact arms together, a

lcontact arm independent of said contacty arms, two pivotally mountedlevers, a plu- 7. A circuit interruptercomprising a plurality of contactarms, a bar for connecting said-plurality of contact arms together, a

contact arm independent of said contact arms, two pivotally mountedlevers, a plurality 4of trip coils, a trippingbar o erated by any ofsaid trip coils and adapte to engage sai d levers, an operating lever' pivotally mounted on said independent contact arm, one of said levershaving means for restraining the independent contact arm and theoperating lever in their closed positions,

and a latch mounted on said operatin g lever for engaging saidconnecting bar, said latch being operatively connected to the other ofsaid levers. y p

8. A circuit interrupter comprising three movable contact arms,means forconnecting nected arms.

two of said arms together, andmeans for.,` v.latching the other of saidarms to the conv that is iatched to said connected arms in\its closedposition.

10. Auoircuit interrupter comprising three moi-'able Contact arms, meansfor connecting two of said arms together, means for latching the otherof said arms to the connected arms, mea/ns for restraining the arm thatis latched to said connected arms in its closed position, and means fortripping said connected arms under ypredetermined condi-- tions. i

11. A circuit interrupter comprising a contact arm, a second Contact armindependent of the first mentioned Contact arm, means for latching saidsecond arm4 to said independent arm, means for restraining saidindependent arm in its closed position, and means for tripping 4the saidfirst mentioned arm under predetermined conditions.

in testimony whereof, We have hereunto subscribed our names this 30thday of Sept. 25 n WALTER M. AUSTIN. ,A JOSEPH YN. MAHONEY. `WitnesseszB. B. HINEs,

M. C. NERZ.

